Would it be possible to move components of a Dell Optiplex GX280 Small Desktop to a regular atx case?

Here is a page with all the details about my computer:


http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/sy鈥?/a>


Also my motherboard model # is 0N4846, Dell of course. Any help would be appreciated. I'm trying to upgrade everything for a little gaming. I've got 4gigs of ram on the way, maybe overkill, but i don't care. I want to upgrade video card without having to choose a low profile card. And also any suggestions on a card would be appreciated. Thanks!Would it be possible to move components of a Dell Optiplex GX280 Small Desktop to a regular atx case?
Generally no as dell uses proprietary mounting and a desktop motherboard has special arrangements to fit the lot profile cards and stuff, and thus is different from the tower form. That said, if you pick up a dell tower case, it might work. At this time the GX280 is pretty outdated, so I would not try and put (money)(time) into it and just upgrade. The Inspiron 531 Desktop (yeah, keep it simple dell! don't mix it up... pfft inspiron desktop, anyway...) is a nice option. It's a full tower with an AMD Dual Core CPU with a PCI-Express slot so you can use a modern graphics card rather than pay more for one on the Obsolete agp format, and can be gotten on ebay for like $200.





All dell's have XP key for Dell XP in the bios so you are good for OS. Also AMD dual cores are the way to go unless you overclock, as they offer similar performance to Intels at lower prices.





Sorry I just looked at an image of your motherboard: if you can find like a dell tower case for an Optiplex 230, I think you should be able to put it in easily. Must be a different model where the board bends sideways. My Dad works for a college and brings home their junked computers, and I see a lot of Dell's (not because they are bad, it's just what they use).Would it be possible to move components of a Dell Optiplex GX280 Small Desktop to a regular atx case?
No. That's a proprietory board and can't be used in a normal case. Main reason is the ribbon cable the board uses to feed the front of the case. It's #6 on the orange schematic your link shows. A standard case doesn't use that type of setup. If you want to do some mild gaming I suggest you just buy a low-profile video card for your present case. Here's an example:


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as鈥?/a>


Something to bear in mind is that, althou this card includes the low-profile bracket, most don't so, if you buy one that doesn't you'll have to buy the bracket separately. You simply replace the bracket on the card with the low-profile bracket so it can run in your case. There are also 8600GT low profile video cards if you're an Nvidia fan.